Teen Pleads Guilty in $245M Crypto Theft Using Fake Tech Support Scam
In one of the most dramatic cybercrime stories involving digital assets, 19-year-old Veer Chetal from Connecticut has pleaded guilty to stealing over $245 million worth of cryptocurrency through a sophisticated phishing and impersonation scheme. Acting as fake tech support for Google and Yahoo, Chetal tricked victims into surrendering their account credentials, which he then used to access and drain their digital wallets.
According to court records, Chetal and his co-conspirators ran a multi-layered fraud operation. They sent fake emails appearing to be from major platforms and staged phone calls impersonating support staff. Once the victims were convinced, they provided sensitive login details, leading to full access to their crypto holdings.
The stolen funds were then laundered through various wallets and exchanges, often using privacy tokens to obfuscate their origin. Federal investigators worked for over a year to trace the complex flow of money before finally arresting Chetal earlier this year.
What shocked prosecutors even more was that, during the investigation, they uncovered a related kidnapping plot that the same group had allegedly planned in connection with a separate extortion attempt.
As part of his plea deal, Chetal is cooperating with authorities and may help track down other suspects involved in the scheme. This case is being seen as a wake-up call to both investors and platforms about the dangers of social engineering attacks in crypto.
The case underscores the need for stronger digital security, multi-factor authentication, and public awareness, especially in a space where transactions are irreversible and highly targeted by cybercriminals.